BILL NUMBER: SB 263	CHAPTERED  07/28/99

	CHAPTER   219
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE   JULY 28, 1999
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR   JULY 28, 1999
	PASSED THE SENATE   JULY 15, 1999
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY   JULY 12, 1999
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   JUNE 29, 1999
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   JUNE 1, 1999
	AMENDED IN SENATE   MARCH 16, 1999

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Perata

                        FEBRUARY 1, 1999

   An act to amend Section 19596.2 of the Business and Professions
Code, relating to horse racing, and making an appropriation therefor,
and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 263, Perata.  Horse racing:  imported races.
   (1) Existing law provides that, during the calendar period of its
racing meeting, a thoroughbred racing association or fair may
distribute the audiovisual signal and accept wagers on out-of-state
and out-of-country thoroughbred races without regard to the amount of
purses and without the consent of the horsemen's organization,
provided that the total number of races imported statewide in any
given year does not exceed the total number of races imported in
1998.  Existing law also provides that no more than 20 races may be
imported on any given day when live thoroughbred racing is being
conducted, except in the case of races commencing after specified
times that are imported with the permission of specified associations
or fairs that are then conducting live racing.
   This bill would  increase that 20 race limitation to no more than
23 imported races, but would except from that limitation races
commencing after specified times that are imported with the
permission of specified associations; races imported that are part of
the race card of certain prominent races; races imported into the
northern zone when there is no live racing being conducted in that
zone; and races imported into the combined central and southern zones
when there is no live racing being conducted in those combined
zones.
   (2) Under existing law, all revenues distributed to the state as
license fees from horse racing are required to be deposited in the
Fair and Exposition Fund and are continuously appropriated to the
Department of Food and Agriculture for various regulatory and general
governmental purposes.
   This bill would authorize additional wagering, and would increase
the amount of continuously appropriated license fees, thereby making
an appropriation.
   (3) The bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately
as an urgency statute.
   Appropriation:  yes.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  Section 19596.2 of the Business and Professions Code is
amended to read:
   19596.2.  (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a
thoroughbred racing association or fair may distribute the
audiovisual signal and accept wagers on the results of out-of-state
and out-of-country thoroughbred races during the calendar period the
association or fair is conducting a race meeting, including days on
which there is no live racing being conducted by the association or
fair, without the consent of the organization that represents
horsemen participating in the race meeting and without regard to the
amount of purses, provided that the total number of thoroughbred
races on which wagers are accepted statewide in any given year does
not exceed the total number of thoroughbred races on which wagers
were accepted in 1998.  Further, the total number of thoroughbred
races imported by associations or fairs on a statewide basis under
this section shall not exceed 23 per day on days when live
thoroughbred or fair racing is being conducted in the state.  The
limitation of 23 imported races per day does not apply to any of the
following:
   (1) Races imported for wagering purposes pursuant to subdivision
(d).
   (2) Races imported that are part of the race card of the Kentucky
Derby, the Kentucky Oaks, the Preakness Stakes, the Belmont Stakes,
the Jockey Club Gold Cup, the Breeders' Cup, or the Haskell
Invitational.
   (3) Races imported into the northern zone when there is no live
thoroughbred or fair racing being conducted in the northern zone.
   (4) Races imported into the combined central and southern zones
when there is no live thoroughbred or fair racing being conducted in
the combined central and southern zones.
   (b) Any thoroughbred racing association described in subdivision
(a) may execute an agreement with any other association that conducts
thoroughbred races in the southern zone to allow the other
association to distribute the signal and accept wagers on
out-of-country thoroughbred races.
   (c) Any thoroughbred association or fair accepting wagers pursuant
to subdivision (a) shall conduct the wagering in accordance with the
applicable provisions of Sections 19601, 19616, 19616.1, and
19616.2.
   (d) No thoroughbred association or fair shall accept wagers
pursuant to this section on out-of-state or out-of-country races
commencing after 7:00 p.m., Pacific Standard Time, without the
consent of the harness or quarter horse racing association that is
then conducting a live racing meeting in Orange or Sacramento
Counties, and no quarter horse or harness racing association shall
accept wagers on out-of-state or out-of-country quarter horse or
harness races commencing before 5:30 p.m., Pacific Standard Time,
without the consent of any thoroughbred association or fair that is
then conducting a live racing meeting in this state.
  SEC. 2.  This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the
meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into immediate
effect.  The facts constituting the necessity are:
   In order for racing associations and fairs to generate additional
purses and state license fee revenues from wagering on imported
stakes racing programs that will be conducted during the remainder of
calendar year 1999, it is necessary that this act take immediate
effect.
